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Biden: 'Come hell or high water, we'll get this done'

Steve Bisson/Savannah Morning News -l-Vice President Joe Biden, right, speaks on the importance of infrastructure investment to a crowd gathered at the docks of the Garden City Terminal of the Georgia Ports Authority Monday afternoon. Listening are Georgia senators Saxby Chambliss, left, and Johnny Isakson.

Vice President Joe Biden stood center stage on Container Berth 6 at the Georgia Port’s Garden City Terminal Monday and told an appreciative crowd of nearly 500 that deepening the Savannah harbor is not a partisan issue.

“In the next 12 years, the volume of trade is expected to double,” Biden said, glancing at the big ship-to-shore cranes working the massive container ship behind him.

“Some 75 percent of the world’s commerce comes and goes in the bellies of these big ships, and these ships will continue to come in increasing numbers.

“No, folks, this is not a partisan issue. This is an economic issue.”

Flanked by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Biden called for expediting port infrastructure projects all along the East Coast but noted Savannah’s importance to the president’s export initiative.

As Savannah is the East Coast’s busiest port for containerized exports, it is critical to meeting the goals of the National Export Initiative. Exports make up 62 percent of Savannah’s containerized tonnage.

“What don’t we understand?” Biden asked. “What more do we need to know?

“We are going to get this done, come hell or high water.”

That pronouncement was music to port director Curtis Foltz’s ears.

“Certainly to me there was no confusion in what he was saying,” Foltz said.

“I think it’s safe to say we’ve got the full backing of the administration to get this project going forward as quickly as it possibly can. Time is of the essence.”

Also with the vice president on the docks was U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah, Mayor Edna Jackson, GPA board chairman Robert Jepson and Foltz.

Chambliss said he welcomed the opportunity to show the vice president the Port of Savannah firsthand and discuss the importance of the deepening project to the state and nation.

“Deepening the harbor at the Port of Savannah is in line with the nation’s priorities, including our focus on increasing American export capabilities,” Chambliss said.

“Georgia is a committed partner in this endeavor, and continued federal support is crucial to achieving this goal. I look forward to the vice president returning to cut the ribbon on a completed project.”

Isakson agreed, noting the momentum added by the administration’s backing of the project.

“This project is critically important to the state of Georgia, the Southeast and the nation,” he said, noting it would support hundreds of thousands of jobs each year while generating billions in revenue.

When the Panama Canal is expanded in 2015, container ships now too large to transit the locks will begin moving through on their way to East Coast ports.

Deepening the Savannah River to 47 feet will enable the port to more efficiently serve those larger vessels, Kingston said.

Lower prices per container slot will save U.S. companies shipping goods through Savannah from 20 to 40 percent on transportation, he said, which translates into lower costs for the export of manufactured goods such as Caterpillar heavy equipment made in Peoria, Ill., and Nissans autos built in Smyrna, Tenn.

“We are united in support of this vital project because we know that it is the key to keeping this economic engine humming,” Kingston said. “Failure to complete the harbor expansion would spell disaster not just for Georgia, but for the region. After 14 years of study, we not only know that it can be completed in an environmentally-sound manner but that it will provide enormous economic benefit for our region.”

Federal studies indicate that for every dollar invested, the nation’s economy will reap $5.50 in net benefits.

Jepson noted that the ports’ broad economic impact warrants federal support and investment.

“This port is a regional and national resource, supporting companies headquartered in all 50 states and with a direct reach extending to 44 percent of the U.S. population,” Jepson said.